Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ensenada Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ensenada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,139 in Ensenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,838 in Ensenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,538 in Ensenada.

Living in Medellin is roughly 48% more expensive than in Ensenada, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ensenada is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$12.41 MX$213

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$36.26 MX$622

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.91 MX$136

25.03%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.28 MX$56.4

-4.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.15 MX$19.82

66.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.74 MX$12.63

104.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.94 MX$50.5

6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.92 MX$67.4

46.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.93 MX$33.07

-25.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.88 MX$49.46

-13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.76 MX$30.16

0.57%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.79 MX$47.96

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.77 MX$150

14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.09 MX$122

42.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.18 MX$192

27.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.31 MX$39.57

79.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.68 MX$28.75

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.87 MX$32.04

20.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.65 MX$28.29

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.37 MX$23.47

48.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.90 MX$32.67

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.56 MX$26.75

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.07 MX$18.45

22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.49 MX$77.1

-13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$14.52 MX$249

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.91 MX$32.72

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.86 MX$49.18

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.85 MX$14.64

43.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$38.11 MX$654

111.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.12 MX$53.6

-58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.07 MX$35.45

5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$20.68 MX$355

-57.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.41 MX$24.16

-2.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.6K MX$370.7K

28.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.9K MX$444.9K

38.00%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$177 COP 559.3K

$50.1 MX$860

253.96%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$34.00 MX$584

-59.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.14 MX$483

5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$32.38 MX$556

38.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$11.58 MX$199

47.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.80 MX$82.3

38.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$813 COP 2.6M

$204 MX$3,509

297.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,195 MX$89.2K

76.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$57.2 MX$982

56.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$45.47 MX$781

29.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$109 MX$1,869

26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$61.1 MX$1,048

67.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$549 MX$9,424

93.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$345 MX$5,914

92.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,045 MX$17.9K

80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$680 MX$11.7K

51.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,427 MX$24.5K

193.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$741 MX$12.7K

125.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$693 MX$11.9K

-2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $549 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $270 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ensenada differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,139 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Ensenada. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $549 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,139 in Ensenada – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 111% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,139 in Ensenada versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ensenada but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ensenada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ensenada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ensenada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.